The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-04-13
BOLD swiNDLERs.
Methods of the New York Confidence Men
of Fifty Years Ago.

I pI6SCnG udl COuIJ HOlu HIS own agdllSt
the sharper of fifty years ago. said al
old New Yorker. In those days the
| opportunities for open swindling were
greater than now. and the methods
employed were far more tricky Who
would think of comparing the modern
| bmcO steerer to the sleek and suave
mock auctiOneer, for example,? He
was the pest of the dry goods mer-
chants of olden tines His methods
were open enough, but wonderfully
| successful, nevertheless. One of the
most obnoxious of these pests had his
store at the corner of Wall and Pearl
streets. A red flag. such as auction
GERS display, could always be seen fly
! ing over the entrance of his place
of business. Several well-dressed
men promenaded the sidewalk in
front, awaiting the first chance
to run i'm an unsophisticated passer-
by. When this had been accomplished
they would enter with their victim and
commence bidding against him until
the articles for sale had been run up to
fair price. The customer was gener-
ally swindled by substituting goods of
an inferior quality for those actually
displayed for sale. The sawdust man
subsequently used the same method in
perpetratihg his cheats. remember
an incident which happened there
which will show how shrewd these men
were. A merchant came from Virginia
to lay in supply of dry-goods. He
CHANGED to wander past this mock
auctioneer's establishment and was in
duced to enter. In his notebook he
had marked down every article he
desired. As he was referring to it one
of the sharpers attached to the place
looked over his shoulder and took
down copy of the list. Other attaches
Of the place were dispatched to neigh
boring stores to purchase the required
articles, while the gentlemanly fellow
who had furnished them with the list
kept the victim engaged in conversa-
ton. Finally the auctioneer noun ted
the rostrum and, to the surprise of the
merchant, commenced to call of the
very articles he required. He was
more astonished to find the prices so
cheap. Before he left the place he had
purchased everything he wished. and
ordered them to the store of his New
York agents, Messrs. Mygatt & Conk-
ling. Here the goods were unpacked,
and it was found that the veriest trash
had been substituted for the articles
displayed at the auction sale Through
Mr. COnkling's efforts some of the
money was afterward recovered.
another famous mock auctioneer
had an establishment at the corner of
Pine and Pearl streets. A gentle
man entered his store one day
and purchased a watch for one hundred
dollars. Afterward he showed it to Mr.
Samuel Brown. of Samuel Brown &
Co., remarking that he had made a
great bargain. Mr.. Brown informed
the gentleman that he had been
swindled, and that if he would 90 with
him the following Monday Git being
Saturday, to the place where he made
the purchase, he would try to recover
the money. 1t was agreed. On Sun
day as the gentleman was in the read
ing-rOOm of the hotel where he was
stopping an elderly man approached
him and engaged him in conversation.
The merchant incidentally spoke of the
watch he had purchased, remarking
that he feared he had been swindled.
Let me look at it., said the other.
amined, whereupOn the elder man
said "If you think that the watch
is not worth one hundred dollars, you
can sell it to me for that price" The
bargain was clinched, and the mer-
chant pocketed the money. Not long
afterward a walk was pr opposed to a site
uptown, where at that time an extern
sive view could be had of Long Island !
Sound. While they were admiring the |
prospect a large, imposinglooking man |
came forward and ace9sted the other. |
A general conversation followed, dur |
ing which the stranger spoke of won
derful safe he was about to have pat |
ented.
=" Here, he continued, SIS the model
HE took from his pocket a small |
iron safe, which he opened with a |
spring. A small roll of paper fell out.
he had not noticed this oc-
currence, for he turned around and bet |
his comrade one hundred dollars that |
there was a roll of paper in the safe.
Bet himr urged the merchant, as
he pointed slyy to the roll of paper on
the ground.
Very well, 1 will then, replied the |
other. 4 have just one hundred dol
lars in my pocket. Then he began
fumbling in his pocket, but could find
no money. ooh! l remember! bought |
a watch from you this morning. just
lend me that one hundred dollars until
we reach the hotel The merchant
and was made stakeholder.
When the money had been put up the
stranger nOnchalantly took the safe
from his pocket, touched the spring
and behold a roll of paper dropped into
his hand.
"'How did you do it?' exclaimed
the merchant in establishment. THAT
is the secret intend to have patented,
replied the stranger, as he coolly
pocketed the money and walked away.
1t is needless to say that the merchant
never saw his one hundred dollars. 1t